The present invention relates to a carrier that is adapted to carry a substrate such that a printing system can print on a surface of the substrate.
Printing systems are used to print textual and graphical information on various substrates. Most printers require that the substrate be planar especially at the surface that is to be printed on. This is not a problem for paper substrates which can be laid across a roller at the print head to provide the desired planar surface. However, it is also desirable to print on substrates that are not as malleable as paper.
One such substrate is a compact disc (CD), on which labels must be printed. One method used to allow CD""s to be passed through a printer involves the use of a carrier that holds the CD during the printing process and maintains the planar and regularly shaped CD at the proper orientation relative to a print head. Such a carrier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,688, which includes a recess that is substantially equal to the depth or thickness of the CD, so that the surface of the carrier and the surface of the DC held by the carrier form a substantially flat or coplanar surface on which the print head can print textual and graphical images.
One disadvantage of carriers of the prior art is that they are incapable of accommodating substrates having irregular shapes, such as those having irregular peripheral edges and variable thicknesses. For example, it would be desirable to have a carrier that could be used with a printer to support such substrates as key fobs, badges having irregular shapes, tokens, and many other types of irregularly shaped substrates. As a result, there is a need for a carrier that can support such irregularly shaped substrates in such a manner as to allow a printing system to print on a surface of the substrate.
The present invention is directed to a carrier for use with a printer that can support irregularly shaped substrates having a top surface. The carrier includes first and second planar members. The first planar member has top and bottom surfaces, a thickness, and an inner edge that conforms to an irregularly shaped outer edge of a substrate. The second planar member has a top surface that is coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member. A recess, defined by the inner edge of the first planar member and the top surface of the second planar member, is adapted to receive the substrate such that the top surfaces of the substrate and the first planar member are coplanar.
The present invention is also directed to a carrier having a substrate that includes first and second planar members and a removable substrate. The first planar member has top and bottom surfaces and a thickness. The second planar member has a top surface coupled to the bottom surface of the first planar member. The removable substrate is formed of a portion of the first planar member as defined by an outer edge.
Additional aspects of the present invention are directed to methods of forming the above described carriers.